The return to the office trend has become more and more visible this year, with employees gradually adjusting to a pre-pandemic way of working. Over 82 percent of employees would have no problem working from the office every day if their employer decided on this way of working in the future, and even though some of them admit they wouldn’t find it easy to give up remote work, they can rapidly adapt, according to a recent Genesis Property survey among 1,168 respondents across the country. Better separation between their professional and personal lives (45 percent) and interaction with colleagues (53 percent) are the most important reasons encouraging employees to come back more or fully to the office. Furthermore, if the employer would impose work in the office, less than 18 percent would consider looking for a remote or hybrid job or would resign from their current role.
“We are witnessing a return to the pre-pandemic way of working since the beginning of this year. People prefer coming more frequently to an office that is now more modern and offers more amenities than a few years ago. The new office spaces support, more than ever, the interaction with colleagues and a stronger sense of belonging to a community with shared values”, says Marcela Stancu, Community Director at Genesis Property.
Post-pandemic workplace changes are uneven, with almost 60 percent of employees saying their office has remained unchanged in the last four years, while over 11 percent report that the company’s office space is smaller, and nearly 8 percent feel they now have fewer amenities than before the pandemic.
Additionally, 71 percent say the company they work for hasn’t relocated its office space in the past four years, and only 13.6 percent say they now work in a new, larger and better-equipped office. Almost 27 percent find their current office too small for the team’s needs, and over 33 percent report inadequate facilities.
Through its YUNITY Park project, Genesis Property has completely transformed the way employees work in the office. YUNITY Park offers unique benefits and facilities designed to enhance their experience in and around the office. Among these are an outdoor amphitheatre with a capacity of 1,500 people, 2 kilometres of pedestrian walkways, a tiered promenade, cascading water mirrors, and creative meeting spaces. These amenities have positively impacted people’s well-being, while also helping companies stay competitive in the job market. The second phase of the project was completed last year, following an investment of over €20 million.
The survey was conducted by Genesis Property, a company founded by entrepreneur Liviu Tudor, and analyzed the new trends in employee demands. It was carried out in July-August 2024, nationwide, through the iVox platform, on a total sample of 1,168 internet users in Romania. About 49 percent of participants are female and almost 42 percent have a net income of more than 5,000 lei.
